Contract strategy

Contract strategy "The Shotgun" Contract of the Jungle Inferno Mercenary Park Contract set.

This article is about Contract strategy for completing Primary and Bonus Objectives of Contracts using the ConTracker.

See also: List of contracts

General Strategy (All Contracts)

See also: ConTracker Instructions.

See also: Halloween Contracts strategy.

• Be sure to consider the Objectives when selecting one of three alternate Contracts (e.g., the choice of Alternative Mode) as there are significant differences in difficulty between alternate Contracts, and your favorite weapon, mode, or class might not have the "easy" Objectives.
• It is possible to turn in any Contract by completing only one Objective, Primary or Bonus; but once your last Star has been used to activate a Contract, at least one Objective must be completed and turned in on that Contract before you can activate any other. Turning in a few extra Bonus Objectives gives you more flexibility in queuing up for maps as well as the ability to change Active Contracts; say, if you get stumped on a Contract, the other Player's vote to change to a map that doesn't work for your Contract, you want to work on different Contracts between attacking and defending rounds, or there are just too many Pyros on the team.
• Usually, the action of at least one of the two Bonus Objectives is relatively easier to perform, and often enables you to earn CP and complete the Primary Objective at an accelerated rate. Contract Points earned against Bonus Objectives before the Primary Objective is completed count double, sometimes a few CP more than double. So, depending on your knowledge and skills, focusing on particular Bonus Objectives can speed you through the Contract map.

Friendly-Fire

Main article: Friendly-Fire

• If regularly available, Friendly-Fire can greatly accelerate the completion of Objectives.
• A friend who is an expert at a Weapon or Class can use Friendly-Fire to help you with Contracts you are not so good at.

Map Choice

• A familiar Payload map, like Badwater Basin (offering longer sight lines) or Upward (offering more ambushing and environmental hazards) is a good place to work on many Contracts.
  • Pushing the Payload Cart is a quick way to rack up the points for many of the "Score points" Primary Objectives.
  • The more or less continuous and slowly moving clustering of teammates and enemies around Medics, Engineer nests, and the Payload Cart provide many extended opportunities to work on the Bonus Objectives.
  • The cycling between attacking and defending rounds on Payload maps suit Objectives with Offense and Defense restrictions.
  • The timing of players rushing through known narrow areas is more predicable for traps and ambushes.

• Alternatively, many of the same Contracts can be also worked on Attack/Defend maps, like Mountain Lab and Mercenary Park.
  • Attack/Defend maps also offer quick pacing between attacking and defending rounds, but the combat can surge less predictably, making it more difficult to stay on a particular technique.
  • However, Attack/Defend maps do offer convenient point objectives to capture or defend in a predictable sequence.

Courtesy Rounds

• Focusing on a specific Objective might not be the best tactical contribution you can make to the team during possibly several rounds on the server. After a team has, perhaps unwittingly, helped keep the rounds going for you so you could complete an Objective, you don't have to leave immediately. You can stick around and play fully for the team for another round or two to complete the game for them.
• Similarly, consider how others are reacting to your focus on Contract Objectives, as some personalities may attempt to vote kick you for not actively playing to the game objectives. To avoid such attention;
  • Tap the cart when you can.
  • Spy check for the Medic.
  • Monitor capture progress and assists with completing captures.
  • Alternate rounds where you don't worry about the Contracts.

Objectives

• Many Contract Objectives are similar to requirements for certain Achievements -- good advice for obtaining a particular Achievement is also good for completing a similar Contract Objective. See Obtaining Achievements.

General Objectives

Score points / Score points as <Class> / Score points on <Map>

• Generally, an action that earns points for Bonus Objectives also counts as "Score points ..."; use this when you can and work on Bonus Objectives before you finish the Primary Objective.
• Pushing the Payload Cart while the Cart is not being attacked and while continuously Spy checking (say, on Badwater Basin or Swiftwater, but not Upward) is a fast way to score points as <Class>.

Be MVP as <Class>

• Spending a lot of time pushing the Payload can also earn enough points for any "Be MVP ..." Bonus Objectives, but only if you don't loose time getting killed off of the Cart
  • Don't push the Cart alone or too far ahead of your team's strong positions and into trouble.
  • When the enemy has stalled your team, watch the Cart timer and tap it after the timer runs out to score a point.

• The objective "Be MVP as <class>" will complete if you switch to the <class> just before end of the round after having earned the high score in your best class.
  • Be sure to switch the class before the timer goes past 15 seconds.

• Medic is a good class for building high score, especially if you are good at staying alive and healing a lot, building and "popping ÜberCharges", in addition to helping push the cart or capping the points when safe to do so.
  • Additionally, during Setup time, heal teammates and activate the ÜberCharge repeatedly. You can score 4-8 points during Setup, and do this repeatedly on maps with several stages.
  • Step away from the Cart. When the Cart is near the enemy, you should make your points healing players away from the Cart.

Get a kill on offense / Get # kills in a single life ... / Dominate a player as <Class>

• The secret to getting old is to not die: The primary way to complete these Objectives is to avoid getting killed while killing, a fundamental fighting principle.
• Niven's First Law: Don't draw enemy fire. And don't stand next to someone or something that is going to draw enemy fire, like an Engineer nest.
• One kill short of the objective when Final is capped? Just get it on the next stage or round. Kills in a life and domination accounting do not reset between stages or rounds; so, work on these Objectives on long, multi-staged maps, like Gold Rush, Hoodoo, or Dustbowl.
• Play conservatively and stay near teammates.
• Don't play in front. Avoid close contact with the enemy. Let the first rank take and deal most of the damage while while you finish the kills.
• Hang around a Medic that plays safe in the rear.
  • Keep the Medic safe from Spies, Scouts, and Pyros and the Medic should keep you healed up.
  • Most of the enemy that make it back to rear with the Medics are easily killed Scouts and Spies or already damaged Demomen and Soldiers; look for such players that are repeatedly trying to penetrate your team to get to Medics or Engineer's, and learn the flank routes they usually take.
  • Take the ÜberCharge if offered if it can help you complete your kills, and duck around a safe corner before the ÜberCharge wears off.

• Learn to recognize pushes and stay our of their way. Especially, give ground to ÜberCharge pushes, but look for an opportunity to get in on the kill when the ÜberCharge wears off with the Medic and Pocket in a bad position.
• Learn the Sniper camps, and avoid their lines. Don't "stand still".
• Even when hanging out in back, avoid playing where you can get flanked or ambushed.
• Equip with items that help you get Crit-Boosts (e.g., Crit-a-Cola or Phlogistinator) or help you get Kill assists (e.g., Buff Banner or Battalion's Backup).
• Teaming with a Medic for well-timed ÜberCharges, Kritzkriegs, or Vaccinations can help you with killing sprees.

Capture/Pillage a Control Point / Capture an objective

• Hang back from the point of your team, but be supportive; after all capping a point is more than just standing on it. Watch the HUD for your team's progress on the capture and hop on when the capture seems imminent.
• As a Demoman or Soldier, carry the Pain Train.

Defend/Safeguard a Control Point / Defend an objective

• To score the points for defending the point, you have to complete the kill while the target is still in the capture zone and the HUD still has the enemy team on the point.
• Hang back around the point out of sight as a Spyro, Heavy, Soldier, Demoknight, Back Scatter Scout, or Spy.
• Watch the HUD and listen to the Announcer for signs of a committed capture attempt.
• Often, capturing players can tend to run off of the point if they see you coming, preventing you from getting the kill to count as a defense. Also, running headlong into a capping Heavy or Soldier unlikely to succeed.
  • So, look for quick kills. Try to sneak up behind cappers for surprise kills, hence the suggestion for the Backburner or Backstabs.
  • Timing a Phlogistinator or other Crit-Boost effects can help with completing the kill while the target is on the point.
  • Set up traps with the Stickybomb Launcher around a Capture Point or under a Payload, and detonate them for quick kills the moment the HUD displays a capture attempt.

Mode Objectives

Capture the Flag Contract Objectives

• The problem with Capture the Flag games is the fact that there is no time limit. If there is a strong set of Engineer nests and the other players are not skilled enough to take them down or are not really interested playing to the game objective, you can end up with a fully finished Contract that you cannot turn in for a very long time.
  • Avoid CTF maps unless you are working on CTF-only Objectives.
  • Early in a new round, get a feel about the players and their game: if it looks like the Intelligence is not being captured, or, worse yet, you are warned not to capture it, leave the game and try another sever before you make too much progress on your Contract.
• If you get stuck on a CTF with a lot of pending progress on your Contract and the nests are not falling, switch to Medic, find a reliable Pocket, and start breaking down the nests.
  • This usually requires repeated ÜberCharges, so become good at building ÜberCharges.
  • In compensation for the lack of a time limit, the map is set to build ÜberCharges faster the longer the round lasts.
  • It is possible that you will get help from others that want opportunities to capture the Intelligence for their Contracts.

Payload Contract Objectives

• Kill an enemy pushing the cart:
  • Maps with confined spaces along the track, like Upwards, can bunch the enemy up close to the Cart for Phlogistinator or Backburner ambushes.
  • Maps with long straight sections, like Hoodoo or Gold Rush might be preferred by Soldier and Sniper mains.
• Push the Payload Cart:
  • On Upwards, you have to push the Cart 5 times father to earn pushing points than on other Payload maps.

Payload Race Contract Objectives

• As with Capture the Flag maps, the problem with Payload Race games is the fact that there is no time limit; so go with the same advice.
  • Avoid PLR maps unless you are working on PLR-only Objectives.
  • A particular problem is Hightower, as it is particularly used by players that want infinite game rounds.
    • Being vote kicked just for trying to win the round is a real possibility if you end up with such players.
  • Particularly, when joining an ongoing round, test the Cart; watch and listen for players telling you not to push the cart, and leave the game if it looks like that is happening.
  • Otherwise, it may be just up to you ride the Cart to the top, so time it well.

Class Objectives

Kill while blast jumping as Soldier

• The Market Gardener and Air Strike are great weapons to use for fulfilling this Objective.
• Deploying the B.A.S.E. Jumper will extend the time you're airborne and prolong the window where you're considered to be blast jumping.

Environment kill as Pyro

• Upward is a generally good map for working on Contracts, but for this Objective in particular, it also has several wide Pitfalls close to either the Cart's route or flank paths.
• On Thunder Mountain, the Payload passes near cliffs at the start of Stage A and near the second checkpoint of Stage C. These are ideal for getting environmental kills when the team clusters at those points.

Get an assist with an Ubered teammate / Assist in destroying a sentry while Ubered

• Only the stock Medi Gun's ÜberCharge will count towards progress for this Objective.

Weapon Objectives

Pyroland:

See Pyroland Contracts Strategy.

Mercenary Park:

The Amputator

• Despite the first bonus objective's description implying otherwise, it can only be obtained through healing provided by the Amputator's taunt effect.
• It is common to see Soldiers and Demomen blast jumping around the spawn room during setup time. Use this opportunity to progress the Bonus Objectives.
• Remain behind cover, but near the front lines, like a Dispenser would.
• Though it may seem like a good idea to work on this Contract in DeGroot Keep, be advised that there are very few places to taunt safely.
• The last bonus objective can be completed by healing a low-health teammate (if you have a friend assisting you, they can self-damage using rockets or similar explosives - fall damage works fine too) with the Quick-Fix and activating your ÜberCharge. Make sure to wait 15 seconds between them last taking damage before beginning this strategy. This will ensure you are healing them at the maximum rate possible.

The Direct Hit

• Consider equipping the Buff Banner if you have selected this weapon for your Offense Weapons 2 Contract. The Buff Banner provides on-demand Mini-Crits, thus allowing you to quickly obtain Mini-Crit kills (rather than solely relying on air-shots from the Direct Hit).

The Flare Gun

• Crit kills as Pyro: Use your Flamethrower at the enemy for 1-2 seconds, then quickly switch to the previously equipped Flare Gun (default: Q) and use it for the Crit.
• Get 5 Flare Gun kills: Assist kills count as as well; find a Battle Engie and help out. Focus on the target that the mini-sentry is shooting at.

Jarate

• This contract is easily completed by killing with the Sydney Sleeper.

Loose Cannon

• Double Donks and Loose Cannon Kills: On defense on Payload maps, stand off at ideal range from a blind turn or doorway where Players are channeled into a narrower path straight towards you.

The Phlogistinator

• Focusing on completing the Objective of 5 kills while Mmmph'd in a single life will assuredly complete the other two Objectives.
• You are very unlikely to survive any attempt to obtain 5 kills off of one Mmmph; not only will you have to survive at least one Mmmph to get to 5 kills in one life, you will also have to survive building two or more complete Mmmphs.
• Ideally, time your Mmmph to go in with another player who can draw fire off of you.
• Don't get greedy when burning the Mmmph; jump out, get a kill or two, then get back under cover.
• Spycheck a lot.
• Build your Mmmphs carefully, work rear guard security, follow behind others making attacks or defending.
  • Rely on your various flare weapons for building Mmmph, firing on clusters of players at longer ranges.
• Hoodoo is an example of a map that clusters players together at predictable choke points, both for the purposes of building Mmmphs and getting multiple kills off of expended Mmmphs.

The Shotgun

• This Contract is easily completed as the Engineer; as long as the Shotgun is active, Sentry Gun kills also count towards progress for this Contract.